


Win for Me

by Imori_Hikaru



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, M/M, Minor Injuries, Pro-Bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imori_Hikaru/pseuds/Imori_Hikaru
Summary: Ah man... finally finished. I started this fic excited about the idea, but along the way hit a pretty hard wall of writer's block. In the end I've got a fic, but I'm not all that happy with it. I'm happy to have it finished though. It was originally planned to be longer and I just had to accept that I wasn't going to achieve my original vision for this one. I'm hoping that it's not as bad as I feel it is--that I'm just being overly critical, but regardless I hope you enjoyed and I appreciate anyone who took the time to read my fic!Fun Fact: I did actually plan out who was on the other teams that they face throughout the fic, but decided not to include everyone's names until the final match. I wonder who they were playing against~
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Kudos: 21
Collections: Gensou no Karasu





	Win for Me

“Good luck out there,” Hanamaki grinned at his friends. “Give ‘em hell.”

“Oh, we will,” Oikawa promised, winking at Hanamaki. Hanamaki rolled his eyes, still smiling as he grabbed Matsukawa by the front of his shirt, pulling him in for a kiss. He wouldn’t have considered it a long kiss, but apparently it was long enough to warrant wolf whistles from Oikawa.

“Stay safe out there,” Hanamaki whispered, still holding the front of Matsukawa’s shirt. He smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Always,” he whispered back.

“Iwa-chan, I want a goodluck kiss too!” Oikawa grabbed for Iwaizumi, making kissy noises, but Iwaizumi dodged him.

“Absolutely not, Shittykawa.” Iwaizumi cringed.

“You’re literally dating me!” Oikawa whined, pouting at the rejection.

“That changes nothing.” Iwaizumi failed to maintain a straight face, a hint of a smile creeping onto his face. He punched Oikawa lightly in the arm. “Let’s go, we have some Sparrowkeets to crush.”

***

Oikawa rolled his shoulders, ready to get this show on the road. He thrived in the stadium where all the focus was on him, and the other benders of course. Oikawa had a decent number of fangirls, which he of course encouraged with his flirty nature, much to Iwaizumi’s displeasure. He waved up at some fans before Iwaizumi elbowed him in the ribs.

“Focus, Shittykawa.”

“Oh come on Iwa-chan, it’s not like the Sparrowkeets are actually a threat.”

“I wouldn’t count them out until we secure the win,” Matsukawa shrugged, adjusting his helmet. He scanned the crowd idly, knowing Hanamaki was out there somewhere. He didn’t necessarily need to know where, it was enough to know he was here. He always was.

“Yeah, yeah.” Oikawa waved his hand dismissively. The Sparrowkeets weren’t bad, but they’d played them before and there were certainly stronger teams.

The bell rang and the benders instantly flew into action. Iwaizumi shot a disk immediately at the Sparrokeet’s waterbender, while Oikawa and Matsukawa zeroed in on the earth and firebenders respectively. Mere seconds into the match the Penguin Otters were advancing into the Sparrowkeet’s territory.

A few well timed attacks from the team resulted in the fastest victory they’d had all season. Round one was theirs and the teams reset for round two.

Round two wasn’t quite as quick, but it was pretty close. The Sparrowkeets ganged up on Matsukawa, but Oikawa countered, sending two benders into zone two. From there it didn’t take long for them to push the Sparrowkeets back and they took another round.

With two rounds in the Penguin Otter’s favor, the Sparrowkeets would need a knockout to win the match. Round three ended in a similar result to the first two. It was almost sad to see how fast the Sparrotkeets fell, but with the win secured they were one step closer to the tournament.

***

The South Sea Minksnakes were their next opponents for the night, Oikawa frowned as they stepped into the ring. He didn’t particularly get along with the captain of their team, an earthbender he could only describe as shady. The Minksnakes had a bit of a reputation among pro benders. They used a few too many underhanded techniques.

Iwaizumi scoffed, adjusting one of his gloves as they took their places for the start of the match. Matsukawa sucked in a deep breath as he readied himself for the blows to be thrown at him. His eyes flicked up to the stands, finally landing on a head of pink hair. He visibly relaxed, smiling when Hanamaki raised his hand in a small wave.

The bell signaled the beginning of the match. Oikawa narrowly avoided a burst of flames while Matsukawa stumbled back into zone two having been struck by a stream of water. He was pretty sure exceeded the time limit, but there was no call. Iwaizumi was momentarily distracted by Matsukawa getting push back so quickly, but stood his ground and threw several disks into the Minksnakes territory, nailing their water bender and firebenders.

The lone competitor growled, irritated by his teammates falling so early. He put up a decent fight, but there wasn’t much he could do in the three vs one situation. He was forced back and eventually Iwaizumi managed to knock him off his feet.

There was fire in the Minksnakes eyes as they got themselves back up and stared down Iwaizumi, Oikawa, and Matsukawa. Oikawa couldn’t explain it, but he felt like something was off. He didn’t get a chance to vocalize this to Iwaizumi or Matsukawa before round two was underway.

Almost immediately Oikawa’s suspicions were confirmed when Matsukawa was hit with a jet of water with a broken disk in it. Matsukawa took the hit and stood his ground. His eyes were wide and angry. 

“Mattsun, you good?” Oikawa redirected the next attack from the waterbender.

“‘M fine,” Matukawa grunted.

Waterbenders were not supposed to freeze the water in probending, just as firebenders were barred from lightning bending and earthbenders from metalbending. That didn't stop their current opponents. Iwaizumi and Matsukawa tried to tag team the opposing earthbender, only to slip and crash into one another. They kept themselves upright, but slid into zone three on the thin sheet of ice that had formed on the floor of the ring. A blast of fire melted and apparently consealed the illegal move from the refs because no call was made against the Minksnakes.

"What the hell man!" Oikawa deflected a disk that was thrown at him, casting a quick glance at his teammates. "What's the matter? Can't win playing by the rules?" He seethed. 

"A victory's a victory." His opponent winked at him, which only served to irritate Oikawa further. The opposing team continued their assault. The water and firebender used their elements to their advantage, obscuring the Penguin Otter’s vision with steam.

Hanamaki watched in horror as Matsukawa got nailed by a disk. That wasn’t exactly anything new, but he hadn’t seen it coming due to the steam surrounding him. His helmet flew off and a second disk quickly followed the first. From where Hanamaki was sitting he was fairly certain it was a headshot. Matsukawa was so close to the edge of the platform that the impact was more than enough to send him into the water below.

There was a splash, followed by a cheer from the other team’s supporters, until the water began to turn red. A hush fell over the stadium as officials moved to get Matsukawa from the water. Hanamaki didn’t even notice that he’d gotten to his feet. A few nearby spectators were giving him looks.

Oikawa met Hanamaki’s eyes from where he remained in the ring. Matsukawa was out, he would not be returning to the match. In the brief moment their eyes met, Hanamaki knew what Oikawa was thinking. He didn’t stick around for the remainder of the match. He took off in order to check on Matsukawa.

Hanamaki felt sick to his stomach when he caught a glimpse of him. He was soggy from his dip in the water, but blood already dripped down his face. His eyes were half open, but he didn’t seem like he was completely aware of what was going on. Hanamaki entered the room quietly, giving the medics space to do what they needed to do.

***

“Makki?” Matsukawa groaned, his hand immediately went to his head. Near where his stitches were.

“Hey,” Hanamaki kept his voice low. Knowing he probably had a headache given the hit he took.

“G’morning,” Matsukawa mumbled. Hanamaki huffed a laugh, stroking Matsukawa’s matted curls away from his face.

“It’s not exactly morning anymore.” He explained softly, Matsukawa’s eyebrows furrowed. “Do you remember last night?” The look in Matsukawa’s eyes and the hesitation told Hanamaki that he didn’t. “You got hurt during the match.”

“Shit, that match!” Matsukawa moved to sit up, groaning and folding in on himself to hold his head from the quick movement.

“You guys won.” Hanamaki grinned. Even after losing Matsukawa, Oikawa and Iwaizumi were able to pull the match back in their favor. He gently guided Matsukawa back down against the pillows. “You guys are in the tournament, but I think Oikawa is looking into a replacement for you.”

“What? No, we’ve got time. I’ll be fine by then.” Matsukawa scowled. Hanamaki cocked a brow and looked at the stitches on Matsukawa’s temple skeptically.

“I’m not sure, you took a pretty serious hit.”

“It’s fine, Makki.” Matsukawa and Hanamaki held one another’s gaze for a long moment. Matsukawa was the one to break away, pressing his fingertips to his temples.

“Yup, you look fine to me.” Hanamaki rolled his eyes.

***

Hanamaki laughed, leaning back against Matsukawa’s chest. Matsukawa buried his face in Hanamaki’s shoulder. 

“Can you two get a room?” Oikawa gave them an unamused look, momentarily forgetting about Iwaizumi, who hit him with a disk. Oikawa wheezed, the wind being knocked out of him. “Iwa-chan! What was that for?” He whined.

“We’re practicing, dumbass. Pay attention.”

“You could just let me practice--” Matsukawa started, but Iwaizumi turned his irritation on him.

“You’re lucky we’re not replacing you. Practice while you’re still hurt and I’ll kill you.”

“So violent,” Hanamaki laughed. Matsukawa groaned.

“I hate this.”

“It’s literally been two days.” Hanamaki pointed out, patting Matsukawa’s head.

“And I want to practice.”

“You have a concussion.” Hanamaki carded his fingers through Matsukawa’s curls.

“And Oikawa has a bad knee, so what.”

“How is that relevant?” Oikawa looks vaguely offended.

“He’s just salty,” Hanamaki wiggled himself out of Matsukawa’s hold and got to his feet, offering a hand to Matsukawa. “Come on, let's go get some food.” Matsukawa tried to glare at Hanamaki, not wanting to bail on practice, but quickly gave in when Hanamaki smiled. Matsukawa was weak for Hanamaki’s smile.

“Fine,” he grumbled, taking his boyfriends hand and allowing him to haul him to his feet.

***

Matsukawa was getting antsy, wanting to practice as the days until the first match of the tournament grew nearer. If he didn’t get cleared by then, the Penguin Otters would have to forfeit the competition, which he wasn’t willing to do. Thankfully, he was cleared with a few days to spare. Which he was going to have to use practicing if he wanted to be any use to his team.

Because of this, Matsukawa and Hanamaki were at the gym early that morning to see about reserving some extra time in the practice gym before the time the Penguin Otters already had scheduled for the day. Hanamaki was the one to check out the schedule and pencil in the team for one the last open time slot in the gym while Matsukawa went to get changed for practice.

“I think that’s a waste of gym time.” Hanamaki flinched at the voice, having not noticed anyone else approach. He whirled around and frowned at the man he recognized as a firebender.

“Excuse me?”

“The Omashu Penguin Otters,” he said thoughtfully. “Aren’t they short a player? Their firebender couldn’t take the heat--”

“Their firebender is here in the gym, preparing for the tournament. Something you should probably be doing yourself.”

“You’re not even a bender,” he spat. Hanamaki’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t generally care whether or not he was a bender, but he didn’t appreciate this guy belittling him for it. Normally, Hanamaki likely would have let it slide, but since he’d already decided he didn’t like this guy, he suddenly found his fist connecting with the asshole’s jaw. There was a satisfying crack, though Hanamaki wasn’t sure if it was the guy’s face or his own fist. He didn’t really care either way.

“You little--”

Hanamaki didn’t have a chance to react before everything was suddenly very hot. Flames burst around him and the bender, the pain was immediate. Hanamaki’s teeth sunk into his lower lip, a small whimper escaping him.

“Dude, what the fuck!” Matsukawa redirected the flames the best he could, but fire was wild and not always straightforward to control. Matsukawa’s eyes widened in horror when he looked at Hanamaki’s shirt. The sleeve was singed away, and his arm was red, blisters already forming. Anger boiled over and Matsukawa was inches from hitting the guy, but the ground shifted under him and caused him to fall backwards. He caught himself, but a boot collided with his stomach before he could stabilize his feet. He hit the ground with a groan and the earthbender propelled him further away from the other team and Hanamaki.

“Oops, too hot for you, pretty boy?”

Matsukawa hadn’t noticed that the firebender had closed in on Hanamaki again, until Hanamaki was already on the ground, being lifted slightly by his hair.

“Disqualified,” Hanamaki choked out, the wind having been knocked out of him when he hit the ground.

“What?”

Hanamaki cringed at the spittle that landed on his cheek.

“Disqualified,” he repeated, louder this time. “The team that throws the first punch--”

“ _You_ threw the first punch,” the firebender almost smiled. Hanamaki bat his eyelashes and let his lower lip slide out just a bit in a small pout.

“But I’m a nonbender, remember?” He said innocently. Realization slowly dawned on the other team. Finally letting go of Hanamaki, the firebender stumbled backwards. Hanamaki didn’t bother catching himself as he fell back to the ground. There was a sense of relief not having his hair being torn out anymore.

“You--” His rage, insult, whatever he’d been planning to say had been interrupted by a blinding flash. He shielded his eyes and glared at the source of the light. A camera. More specifically, a reporter with a camera. She was grinning. Hanamaki huffed a laugh, he had a feeling she was an intern for a newspaper from how young she was. Lucky break. Covering anything related to probending was probably much more exciting that the other crap she had to cover on a regular basis, if anything.

“Matsukawa?” Oikawa blinked, looking down at Matsukawa, who was slumped against the wall. He had his bag thrown over his shoulder, just arriving for their originally planned practice session. “What are you doing?”

“Ugh,” Matsukawa groaned, pressing his fingertips to his temple. He’d just gotten the persistent headache to go away. It was back. “Makki?”

“Makki?” Oikawa parroted, eyes sliding away from Matsukawa, twenty feet away where he finally saw the three pro benders looming over a curled up Hanamaki. “Oh, fuck.” Matsukawa clambered to his feet, ignoring the protest from his head. Oikawa beat him to Hanamaki as he all but shoved the three others out of his way. “Makki?” Oikawa asked softly, worry etched in his voice. Hanamaki cracked an eye open to look at him. He smiled lazily, but didn’t move to get up.

“Aw, is Oikawa worried about little ol’ me?” He tried. It was meant to make Oikawa smile, or tell him to shut up, anything to get the worry out of his eyes, but it didn’t work. Oikawa’s frown deepened. Hanamaki inwardly cringed. His voice was rough and his breathing labored.

“Are you okay?” Oikawa asked, helping Hanamaki sit up, unfortunately, he hadn’t seen the burns on Hanamaki’s arm. He grabbed both of Hananmaki’s biceps, trying to hold him up and inspect him, but one of his hands landed directly on the fresh burns. Hanamaki screamed.

***

_Tch._ Iwaizumi frowned, arms firmly crossed over his chest while he watched Oikawa gently work Hanamaki’s burns with water. He wasn’t the best healer, but it was better than nothing. Especially since Hanamaki was being stubborn about it.

“Why were you picking a fight with them anyway?” Iwaizumi scolded when Hanamaki hissed. Oikawa mumbled an apology.

“He started it--” Matsukawa tried to interject.

“Save it,” Iwaizumi bit out. “You’re barely cleared to practice again, now you’re throwing yourself into street brawls?”

“I’d hardly call it a brawl-- Ow! Son of a bitch, Oikawa be careful!” Hanamaki winced. Oikawa was terrible at this.

“I’m trying!" Oikawa kept at it for a little longer before wrapping up Hanamaki’s arm from shoulder to elbow.

"Are you okay?" Matsukawa asked, voice low in a hushed whisper. Hanamaki gave him a little smile, putting a hand on either side of his face.

"Yes, Issei, I'm fine. Oikawa worked his magic. It's good as new." He punctuated his claim with a wink before pressing a quick kiss to Matsukawa's lips, which were still turned down into a frown.

"Makki, don't lie. We both know Oikawa is shit as a healer, and that burn looked pretty bad."

"I'm not lying. It's fine. Really. It doesn't even hurt anymore." That much was true. It didn't hurt right now. Oikawa could only sooth it and help speed up the healing process. It was still burned and a little blistered, but it wasn't as raw and painful as it had been in the moment.

"I'm sorr--" Hanamaki didn't let Matsukawa finish, instead he cut him off with a harsh kiss.

"Nope. Don't. There's no need for that."

"But--"

"I don’t care. I know what you're thinking and no. You know I hate that shit." Hanamaki knew Matsukawa was thinking he should have protected him, but Hanamaki refused to be someone who needed protecting. He didn't care if he couldn't shoot fire out of his hands. He wasn't weak. "You know what would make me feel better though?" Hanamaki asked, giving Matsukawa his best puppy dog eyes.

"What?" Matsukawa asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. He wasn't sure if Hanamaki was being serious or not.

"If you stop worrying about me and focus on winning the tournament."

***

A few days later the tournament was officially underway. The first match of the tournament was the Omashu Penguin Otters versus the Chameleon Bay Elephant Koi. The first round was very back and forth, but the Penguin Otters came out on top. Unfortunately for the Elephant Koi, round two was the conclusion of the match, ending in a knockout.

The second match was a closer fight. The Si Wong Sand Sharks took round one and the Penguin Otter’s took round two. The third round was a tie, the clock running out without either side advancing. They had a head-to-head with Iwaizumi facing off against the Sand Sharks team captain in a battle between the earthbenders. Iwaizumi eventually got the knockout, allowing them to move on to round three of the tournament.

***

Round three was against the Boiling Rock Eaglehawks, the runners up from last year.

“I don’t think I like them,” Oikawa grumbled. Matsukawa gave him a lopsided smile.

“Oh? Why is that? Because they’re more popular than you?”

“Excuse you, I’m delightful!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Iwaizumi scoffed.

Round one was a tie, neither team gaining any headway. Oikawa was clearly irritated by the opposing firebender, which may have led to a few unnecessary plays.

“Can you please focus on everyone?” Matsukawa panted as the second round began, having been taking the brunt of the earthbenders attacks in the previous round.

“I am!”

“Bullshit,” Iwaizumi grumbled. Oikawa looked like he wanted to argue, but didn’t get the chance when his feet were knocked out from beneath him. He slammed into the floor of the ring and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, launching into a counter attack while Oikawa grumbled about being taken out of the round. Iwaizumi and Matsukawa put up a decent fight, but ended up being pushed back into zone two. The Eaglehawks took the second round. If they wanted to win this, the Penguin Otters needed to win the round and force an elemental head-to-head.

The bell rang and the Penguin Otters were putting more aggression into their plays. Their teamwork was never the worst, but it seemed Oikawa finally realized he needed to get his head in the game if he wanted to take out the annoying firebender.

It was very back and forth. Matsukawa took out the opposing waterbender while Iwaizumi pushed back the earthbender. Oikawa got pushed back by the firebender and Matsuakwa was knocked out of the round. It was coming down to the wire with neither team being the obvious winner. In the final seconds, Iwaizumi landed a few solid hits on the firebender, finally pushing him to zone two and giving the Penguin Otters the okay to advance into the Eaglehawks’ territory, securing the round.

The coin flip gave the Penguin Otters the choice of element for the head-to-head. Iwaizumi already knew what Oikawa was thinking. He was riled up and there wasn’t going to be any reasoning with him.

“We choose water,” Oikawa declared, not consulting his teammates. He smiled smugly at the source of his annoyance, only for realization to dawn on him when the team captain of the Eaglehawks stepped forward. Rather than getting to take out his aggression on the guy who was stealing his spotlight, he was going to be facing their calm, level-headed leader.

“Goodluck,” Matsukawa laughed. He would have chosen water for this match, it was the most strategic choice. The captain was the weak link in the team. That’s not to say he wasn’t a good competitor, but his teammates overshadowed him. Oikawa may not have been thinking clearly, but it worked out the way Iwaizumi and Matsukawa would have wanted.

The head-to-head was short lived. Oikawa just had more raw power than the opposing captain. He sent the waterbender off the raised platform and basked in the cheers from the crowd. The Omashu Penguin Otters were advancing to the finals.

***

The teams were given a few days to rest before the finals, having had matches back to back for the past three days. Oikawa wanted to practice, but Iwaizumi shut those plans down.

“You’re not going to suddenly improve in the short time we have. It’s better to be well rested than to be worn out by the time we face off against the Catowls,” Iwaizumi scolded. Oikawa pouted, flopping down on the couch. Hanamaki laughed from where he was laying on the floor using Matsukawa’s legs as a pillow.

“Hear that, Mattsun? That goes for you too.”

“I didn’t even say anything--”

“We know you were thinking it.” Hanamaki picked a piece of link off Matsukawa’s pants, grinning up at him. Matsukawa sighed, catching a glimpse of the scarring wound on Hanamaki’s arm. Hanamaki said it was nothing, but Matsukawa could tell he’d had Oikawa do a few more healing sessions and it was still going to leave a scar.

_“You know what would make me feel better though? If you stop worrying about me and focus on winning the tournament.”_

***

“Hey hey hey!” The Nan Shan Catowls stepped into the ring, a roar carrying across the stadium. They were the defending champs and the favorite to win this year. They were good, as much as Oikawa hated to admit it.

“Goodluck,” Kuroo grinned, squeezing Oikawa’s hand tightly. Oikawa grit his teeth in a tight smile.

“You too.” 

“May the best team win.” Kuroo added.

“Bokuto, please focus,” Akaashi sighed. Bokuto was waving enthusiastically at the crowd, hardly paying any mind to the Penguin Otters. Oikawa’s eye twitched as he took his place between Iwaizumi and Matsukawa.

“Keep your head in the game Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi warned.

“My head is always in the game,” Oikawa spat. Matsukawa laughed while Iwaizumi scoffed, though their demeanor shifted the instant the bell rang and the match began.

Akaashi, bending several disks, targeted Matsukawa. Matsukawa managed to dodge the first two, but ended up letting the third smash into his arm guards, the disks breaking on impact. He frowned, realizing in his effort to dodge, he stepped over the line into zone two.

Despite their best efforts, Iwaizumi and Oikawa were eventually pushed back as well. By the end of the first round, Oikawa was the only one remaining. Iwaizumi and Matsukawa having been both knocked out by Kuroo after being forced back to zone three.

The Penguin Otters may have lucked out starting round two off with an easy knock out. Bokuto misstepped and Iwaizumi was able to take advantage of his poor footing and send him over the edge. Akaashi heaved a sigh while Kuroo cackled.

Oikawa was pushed into zone two while Iwaizumi and Matsukawa focused on Kuroo, who was the biggest threat of the two remaining benders. They managed to push him back, but at the cost of Iwaizumi getting knocked out. Matsukawa frowned at Akaashi, who looked indifferent about taking out Iwaizumi.

The clock was counting down, Matsuakwa managed to force Akaashi back and gain territory for the Penguin Otters. They just needed to hold their ground in order to take this round. Akaashi stumbled into zone three and Oikawa and Matsukawa focused on Kuroo with the goal of pushing him back as well.

Their plan worked a little better than they hoped, striking Kuroo just right and sending him straight from zone two and into the drink. Akaashi, in zone three, was the soul bender left for the Catowls. The crowd was getting rowdy as the Penguin Otters advanced to zone two in the Catowl territory. Akaashi was forced to focus on defense, but a few well timed attacks sent him into the water below.

In just two rounds in the final match, the Omashu Penguin Otters managed to defeat the reigning champs in an unexpected upset.

“What a match folks!” The announcer’s voice rang through the stadium. “Winning with a complete knockout in round two the new champs are the Omashu Penguin Otters!”

“Did that really just happen?” Matsukawa asked, blinking at the place where Akaashi had been standing moments prior.

“Hell yeah it did,” Oikawa laughed, hugging his shell-shocked friend. Matsukawa’s eyes sought out Hanamaki, who was waiting on the platform behind the ring with Iwaizumi who was still dripping from his impromptu departure from the match. Hanamaki was cheering and Iwaizumi had his arms crossed over his chest looking smug.

The bridge extended between the platform and the ring, allowing Iwaizumi to join his team in the victory celebration. Hanamaki lingered on the platform, intending to celebrate from afar, but Matsukawa had other plans.

Abandoning Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Matsuakwa darted across the platform and scooping up Hanamaki. Hanamaki wasn’t a small guy. He was six feet tall, but Matsukawa seemed to forget that, spinning him around before crushing Hanamaki against his chest. Hanamaki laughed, informing him that he was an idiot.

Matsukawa pulled back enough to grin at him.

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot.”

***

The air was crisp and cool as they finally left the stadium. The spectators had long since left and the night was quiet.

"I can't believe we actually won," Matsukawa laughed.

"Are you telling me you didn't think we had this tournament in the bag?" Oikawa asked in mock offense.

"Oh, and you did?" Iwaizumi asked. "Just last night--" Oikawa slapped a hand over Iwaizumi’s mouth, smiling sweetly at Matsukawa and Hanamaki.

"We're going to head home. See ya later!"

"Hey--" Oikawa wasted no time dragging Iwaizumi away, despite the earthbender's protests.

"Well then," Hanamaki laughed. "Did you want to stop and grab something for dinner on the way home?" Hanamaki adjusted his scarf while Matsukawa blew a small flame at his own hands in an effort to warm them up.

Matsukawa hesitated, having noticed Hanamaki’s small flinch from the corner of his eye. He gave Hanamaki a nervous look. Hanamaki’s head tipped to the side in question, his hand sought out Matsukawa’s instantly.

“What’s up?”

“Are you scared?” Matsukawa’s brow was furrowed, his eyes etched with worry. It made Hanamaki’s stomach roll, he was used to the fun-sarcastic Matsukawa, not whatever this was.

“Scared of what?”

"Me? Firebending--"

"Don't be ridiculous." Hanamaki laced his fingers with Matsukawa’s slowly leading him in the direction of their apartment. "I've never been scared of you, and I'm definitely not scared of you now. Flames are a part of you." Matsukawa held Hanamaki’s eyes for a moment, searching for any hint that this wasn't true, but he came up empty. "Congrats on the win, babe." Hanamaki grinned. "Now you need to defend the title."

**Author's Note:**

> Ah man... finally finished. I started this fic excited about the idea, but along the way hit a pretty hard wall of writer's block. In the end I've got a fic, but I'm not all that happy with it. I'm happy to have it finished though. It was originally planned to be longer and I just had to accept that I wasn't going to achieve my original vision for this one. I'm hoping that it's not as bad as I feel it is--that I'm just being overly critical, but regardless I hope you enjoyed and I appreciate anyone who took the time to read my fic!
> 
> Fun Fact: I did actually plan out who was on the other teams that they face throughout the fic, but decided not to include everyone's names until the final match. I wonder who they were playing against~


End file.
